沖縄とハワイの絆 2

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The Bond between Okinawa and Hawaii Part.2

The Owen departed for Okinawa on August 31, 1948, and the voyage became a life and death struggle as the ship was assaulted by raging storms and battered by tall waves. The journey was further delayed by the need to take a roundabout route in order to avoid sea mines left over from the war. By the 3 week mark, the passenger’s water supply and the feed for the pigs was almost completely depleted.
In spite of these setbacks, the seven heroes, united in their love for their homeland, persevered towards Okinawa. After 28 grueling days at sea, the passengers finally caught sight of the Okinawan islands on September 27.
The Owen made landfall on White Beach, in the Katsuren Heshikiya region of Uruma City. The 550 pigs which the Hawaiian Uchinanchu had risked their very lives to deliver were evenly distributed among the Okinawan public, and through breeding swelled to 100,000 in the span of 4 years. This revitalized the Okinawan pig farming industry and solved the island’s food shortage, greatly contributing to its postwar recovery. Okinawa’s tradition of consuming pork was successfully passed down, and pork continues to be a staple of the Okinawan diet to this day. This is all thanks to those 550 pigs that came from Hawaii.
This movement which began in Hawaii eventually spread to the American mainland and South America, and in time aid began to pour into Okinawa from all across the globe. We Okinawans must never forget that it was thanks to the support of so many people that we were able to survive.
The story of the pigs was turned into a musical by the city of Uruma, and it is also taught in textbooks and school festivals across Okinawa. In this way, we ensure that the story is passed down to the children of the next generation who hold the future of our islands in their hands.
In order to spread the knowledge of this incredible true story to as many people as possible, the “Pigs from the Sea” Commemorative Monument Construction Executive Committee collected funds from the prefectural government, various municipalities, and related individuals in the livestock industry for construction of this monument. We were able to make this project a reality thanks to the donations of the individuals, organizations, and companies who kindly supported our mission.